South Sydney Rabbitohs dummy half Peter Mamouzelos might have a year to run on his contract at Maroubra, but it appears he will be released early after falling out of favour with Wayne Bennett, with a Super League gap year and adventure to Port Moresby the likely resolution.
Once rated as one of the best young dummy halves in the game, Mamouzelos' situation under Wayne Bennett has been a curious one.
At a club which once allowed Damien Cook to leave because they viewed Mamouzelos as the future, the now 25-year-old has played just 47 NRL games, with only eight coming this year, and all of those off the bench.
His last two appearances were in Rounds 9 and 12, meaning it has now been over a month since he stepped onto an NRL field.
Zero Tackle have been made aware by sources close to the situation that head coach Wayne Bennett is not a fan of Mamouzelos, with a particular issue around his first contact in defence, and has no appetite to retain the dummy half.
He played some games early in the year when Brandon Smith was injured, but the signing of Bronson Garlick from the Melbourne Storm at the end of 2025 all but put the writing on the wall for the Greek international when it came to his future at the Maroubra-based club.
The Rabbitohs already have Brandon Smith and Bronson Garlick locked up as potential dummy half options next year, while Jayden Sullivan can also slot in at number nine where needed.
South Sydney are keen to avoid following the plan set by the Brisbane Broncos, who could have five dummy halves as part of their Top 30 next year if Billy Walters re-signs.
Reports now from Wide of World Sports' The Mole now suggest he is set to depart at the end of this season, gaining an early release to spend a year in the English Super League under former Rabbitohs boss Jason Demetriou at the London Broncos, before returning to the NRL where he could link up with expansion club the PNG Chiefs.
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The hooking department is one of the skinniest positions in the NRL when it comes to top-tier talent, as evidenced by the Perth Bears' struggles to sign their number nine ahead of their first season in the competition.
The Chiefs are understood to have identified Mamouzelos to be part of the solution, with the club currently having four signings locked in for their Top 30, as well as three development deals set to be unveiled soon, which Zero Tackle exclusively revealed on Wednesday morning.
If Mamouzelos is released by South Sydney early, he could well become their next player before the November 1 deadline, further kicking the Chiefs in the right direction still more than 12 months out from their first pre-season training session.
The Chiefs' four signings to date are Jarome Luai, Alex Johnston, Connor Watson and Super League prop Matty Lees.
